Improvement in earth-closets



` teniet l ,sans

@anni Clipline,

JAMES ADDIZON DRAKE, 0F NE'Yt-T ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSGNOR T0 HIMSELF AND MARY E. B. CLARK, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent A 106,564, dated .August 23,1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN' EARTH-CLOSETS. u

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same I, JAMES ADDIzoNA Deane, of the city oi New g provement is what l call a rocking hopper, in consequence ot` its being supported on an axis in such manner as to be susceptible ot' being vibrated to a limited degree by a depression of the seat, the arrangement being such that, whenever the seat is occupied, it will be'alittle depressed by the weight of'the occupant, and in being so will tilt the hopper slightly toward then-ont of the closet, and then, when the occupantv rises, it will resume its normal position, and thus cause the hopper to go back to its original positicn also, the effect of such vibration or rocking motion of the hopper being to facilitate the descent of' the dry earth, or

its equivalent, down the hopper to its pnintof delivery, which is from a rectangular box or chuteat the foot ofthe inclined back ofthe hopper that communicates with thes'hopper.

A reference to the drawing will at once explain the precise nature of my invention, and show its mode ot' operation.

On the drawing- A represents a rocking hopper, t-o cont-ain the de odorizing'agent. g

This hopper is so constructed as to have its rear incline 'toward the `f'ront ofthe closet, as shown by the sectional view presented on the drawing at B, and terminate several inches below the seat, and just under its rear edge, `where it connects with a horizontal rectangularbox-chute, C.

This chute is open at its 'front end, but is closed a little back from said end by a revolving valve, consisting of curved oit-scroll wings, D D', projecting from an axis, E.

'lhe drawing shows but two such wings projecting in opposite directions from the axis E, but obviously, if it should ever be desirable, three, four, or more of these wings might be used, it being only necessary so to place them that they will close the chute and prevent the deodorizing substance from escaping therefrom whenever the closet is not in use.

rlhc axis E is supported in proper journals in the frame-workot' the closet, or, rather, in the sides of' the chute, and extend outside the right-hand side 'of said chute suticiently to allow a double crank-har, F,

to be securely4 fastened on its end.

rJfhis crank-bar has' a recess or groove in it that extends very nearly its whole length, as shown at Figure 3, which is a detached view of it.

Inthis groove is litted a pin, a., in such manner as to move therein from one end of'it to the other.

The pin a passes through a pitman, G, to which it is immovably secured, and extends beyond the same far enough to enter a hollow guide, H, (see Figure 2 fora detached vie-w of lthis guide,) which is permanently i-ixed to the frame of the closet in horizontal position, and at right angles to the axis E.

llhe distance between the crank Fand the guide H need not be greater than is just4 necessary to permit the free working of the intermediate parts, These parts consist ot' the pitmen G and I, which are' connected together by a `pivot or articulating joint, as

shown at b.

The pitman G, from the point of its connection with the crank F, by means of the pin E, is placed on a line parallel to the guide H, and is supported by 'an arm, J, projecting from and firmly secured to the said guide at a point just far enough from the rear end of' said pitman to prevent the latter from ever passing cti' it in the operation of the mechanism.

The under side of the pitman G is so shaped that in the rearward movement of said pitman it will press on the arm J sufficiently to slightly elevate the t'ront end of said pitman at the very moment the pin a, reaches the notch c, and cause the said pin to enter said notch, as shown at fig. 2. This occurs when the pitman G, attains the limit of its backward stroke. Reciprocating motion is impart-ed to the pitxnan G in this way.

A bar, K, shown by dotted lines at Figure 1, is permanently secured to the cover L of the seat M ot' the closet, in the plane ot' its surfaces, so as to project ai little behind the rear edge of said cover, where, at its end, it is connected to--pitman I by an articulating joint.

rlhe pin d at this joint extends, like"the pin c on the side next the guide H, far enough vfrom the same to enter the same, as shown at tig. 2, and hence, by holding the end ot' pitman G, which is connected with pitmau I in'a given horizontal line, cov-operates with the arm J in elevating the other end ot' saidpitman G suiciently tothrow up the pin through the notch c.

An inspection of iig. 4lwill show that, when the cover L is down on the seat of the closet, the pin a is at one end ofthe double crank F. Fig. 2 shows said pin to have just entered the guide H, through notch c, when the pin a occupies that position in said crank. Now, 'when these parts are thus placed,the pitman G has made its full backward stroke through the action ot' pitman I, and any movement of the parts must of necessity be in the-opposite direction.

A movement- Vis etected by simply raising the cover L, for this carries down therear extremity ofthe arm K, and by doing so draws forward the pitman I, and through it the pitniau G also, the pin a. meanwhile gliding along the groove iu crank F, without moving this crank, until said pin reaches the opposite or front end of the groove.

The parts are so adjusted that, when this takes place, the' pin (t will have reached a notch, e, in the slide H, through which it will fall by its gravity, and carry with it the front end of the crank F. This occurs when the cover L has been carriedV up to the limit ot its elevation, and occupies a position at right angles to'that occupied by it when down on. the seat It .vill be. perceived that, up to this time, no movement of the valve or its wings I) D' has taken place, and that therefore the chute C remains closed. But when the cover L is closed in consequence of the changed relations of the parts, the pin r1. being now a a little below the axis E, instead of in the same hori- .zontal plane with it, a senii-rotatiou of the crank F is brought about by the impingement of said pin a against the under side'of the groove in the same, un-

t til it; reaches the axis of the saine, and then against the upper side of said groove until it reaches the end of said groove 'and the parts have resumed the position shown at figs. l and 2.

The semi-rotation of the crank F and axis E of course causen the -valvc to make half a revolution, thereby carrying the wing I) to the place occupied by wing D', and in doing so throwing ont' the prescribed quantity of dry earth, or its equivalent, the saine heing taken up by wing D as it makes its semi-revolution, ill-consequence of' its scoop or scroll form, with unfailing certainty. lhis operation is repeated indefinitely, or whenever the closet is used.

In order to pack the earth, it will be understood, of

course, in loose forni, in the chute C, so as always to have a suicient supply therein for the efcientaction of the scroll-winged valve, I slant the rear Bof the hopper, as I have before mentioned, as shown on the drawing, and also give to the hopper itself a slight rocking motion, whenever the closet is used, by snpporting it in part' on au axis, O, and providingr for ra slight depression of the seat M by the weight of the user of the closet, as before described.

In order to canse t-he pin et to 'drop through the opening or notch e with absolute certainty, I may apply positive force through the agency of a pawl, P, which is so adjusted as to exert a downward pressure on said pin at the very moment suoli pressure is needed, but I scarcely think, in' the practice of my invention, such a provision .will ever he necessary.

1. The combination of a cover, L, of the scat of an earth-closet -with the pitmen I and G, the groovecrank F, the axis E, and 'scrollwinged valve D D', and the guide H, when these parts are constructed and united for conjoint operation, in the` manner and for the purpose herein set forth.' i

2. The above combination, in combination with a rocking-hopper, A, when the latter is provided with an inclined back terminating in a box-chute, C, and

all the parts are arranged separately and relatively to each other, substantially as herein described, for the purpose set forth. V

In w'itness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence ot' two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES ADD-IZON BRAKE.

Witnesses H. N. J ENKIN S, F. R. PLAGE. 

